Today, I’m celebrating my SIX year blogging anniversary!! It’s a little late but… better than late than never, right? 😉 Usually, I shared lessons I’ve learned from the blogging journey thus far but today, I just want to share my heart and write. <3
Outfit Details
Needle and Thread Floral Dress (similar) | Bernardo Nude Heels | Vintage Whiting and Davis Handbag | Lele Sadoughi Pearl Headband
My Six Year Blogging Anniversary
Just like that…. six years has flown by in the blink of an eye. Every year, like clockwork, I sit down and read all of previous anniversary posts and reminisce (see year five, four, three, two and one). Having a blog is really quite magical in the way that I can look back on previous moments of my life – all the milestones, memories and lessons that have brought me to where I am now. I can relive specific moments like I’m still there and I can feel the feelings I felt when sharing my heart through my posts.
It’s a funny thing because back in high school, I was never one for writing. I mean, I did so I could good grades but it just wasn’t a passion of mine. I never thought I would venture into journalism of any sort but I did know that my heart belonged in fashion. It’s just something I knew from a very young age and it’s something that I’ve worked extremely hard for ever since. But the field can be difficult to break into (especially for someone that grew up in a VERY small town) and after many unsuccessful attempts, I found blogging. At the time, I felt it was my last chance to share my true passion for fashion and design… and Lizzie in Lace was born.
I had no idea what I was doing but I knew that I was scared. I cared way too much about what people thought about me and I never planned to share anything more than my outfits and latest creations, especially not my inner most thoughts (my introvert self shudders at the thought but here we are lol!). Pushing “publish” on my very first post was terrifying but this simple gesture… this millisecond in time… is what put me on this path and changed my entire life. At the time, I didn’t realize the potential and I certainly didn’t think I could ever make it my career. I just knew that I wanted to share what I loved and I wanted to help others in the process. When I started, I was working three full-time jobs. Looking back, I don’t know how I did it but somehow, I managed to put up a blog post three times a week, usually staying up until 2am every night to do so. I hustled for years without seeing a cent because I just loved it so much. And little by little, this rose-colored fairytale world of mine became a real-life fairytale and things that I could only DREAM of and never in a million years thought were possible for myself started to happen. I pinch myself because I can’t believe that I get to do something that I love so much. Given my background, a lot of things were stacked against me and I had to overcome a lot of obstacles, but it was so worth it.
The journey has not come without challenges, of course. Over the years, I fell into comparing myself to others in my field… and others I had grown up with. I felt “behind” in life and a sense of urgency to catch up to where everyone else was. I compared my “success” with the implied success of others. I wondered if it was worth it to be unique or if I should try to appease to the masses. I struggled with anxious thoughts and imposter syndrome, feeling that I somehow did not deserve the recognition or success that I had worked for since I was young. I allowed myself be taken advantage of by others who were trying to carve their own path and I felt pressured to do things a certain way. I learned a lot of hard lessons about business, relationships and myself. Like many, this past year was one of the hardest I’ve had to endure professionally and honestly, I was scared that I would lose the very thing I worked for years to build and that I’ve sacrificed so much for but the extra time reminded me of why I started in the first place, allowed for me to start projects I had been putting off and forced me to grow in more ways than I ever have before. From my very first post to now, I’ve changed SO much and it’s 100% because I made the decision to start this blog.
Growing up, I always wanted to help people and I also loved fashion but I just didn’t know how I could mesh the two… and I didn’t want to be seen as vain because I loved clothes. I wanted to go into design because I’m such a artistic person but also because I wanted to make women feel beautiful in their clothes. Although I am still chasing that dream, I now understand why things worked out the way they did because it led me here where I could do the same thing but on a different scale. At first, I didn’t quite understand how my blog was helping others but now I get it.
I wrote a post a few years ago about why it’s okay to be a girly girl where I talked about why I thought it was important to be yourself. This year, I ventured into YouTube and uploaded it in the form of a video and I could not believe the responses. I always felt so alone in this and then I realized that there were others out there like me. Some that suppressed their love of feminine things because they didn’t want to get made fun of and some that were too embarrassed to fully be themselves because it wasn’t accepted by their friends, family and society. I didn’t realize how much of an impact this message had but it completely makes sense because when you think about it we all crave to be accepted, loved and supported and the lightbulb moment for me was when I realized that my purpose in life wasn’t just to share pretty clothes but to also inspire others to not only chase their dreams but to accept, love and be themselves unapologetically.
When I look back on this journey, I realize that life was unfolding for me just the way I needed it to, obstacles were put in my way so I could learn and although I grew impatient at times, the timing was always perfect. The biggest realization was that my”failures” made room for better things to come. No matter how much we try to force it, the universe always seems to know what we need and it’s even better than anything that we could do for ourselves. Blogging has honestly been one of the biggest blessings in my life – it’s given me confidence, community and a purpose. It’s been so much more than I could have ever imagined and I feel so grateful that I was given this opportunity.
I know that a lot of you have been here since day one. You have celebrated my successes, encouraged me through the darkest times, watched me grow as a person, supported my passion endlessly and have stuck with me through many learning curves (photography editing frustrations… and now, videography – HAHA!)…. but most importantly, you believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. This platform has brought me a lot of friendships from all over the world, something I would not have otherwise. I really do have the best community and I just adore you all SO SO much! THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your love, support and encouragement over the years. I appreciate it more than you know!
Cheers!
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Happy Blogversary beautiful! And that dress is breathtaking!
Happy anniversary! And heres to many more years!
Happy Blog anniversary Liz! Thank you for sharing your journey and love this gorgeous look. Thank you for the link up!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you so much Kathrine!! Of course <3 Thank you for the support!!
Aw, Lizzie, what a beautiful post! Happy 6 years of blogging! I am coming up on 6 years in August myself so I guess I have been following along with you almost since the beginning! These photos are stunning, my friend. Such a gorgeous dress. I also love looking back at my old posts to recall where I was in life at the time. It is like an online journal for many of us, isn’t it? And that is very scary indeed. We share our hearts and souls with the world in the hopes that we can reach and help someone, but I think many people don’t realize how very scary that can be. Keep up your fabulous work! You are doing great things!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Thank you so much Shelbee! I thought we had been blogging for around the same amount of time – crazy how time flies by!! Same!! Thank you! This is probably my favorite dress I own. It’s so magical to do so, especially during times in life where we are growing, changing and experiencing exciting things. It really is! And I forget that other people read it most of the time lol!! It’s definitely very scary but even just helping one person makes it all worth it. I appreciate your support so so much! <3
Happy blogversary! I’ve been following along from the beginning and can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store next! Love this beautiful look!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thank you so much Jill! I appreciate the support more than you know. It’s been an adventure – I can’t wait either!!
Happy blogversary! I Love your dress.
Thank you so much Amy! I love the floral sequins!
Happy Blogversary Lizzie!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
Thank you so much Jennifer!
I admire your feminine style and the fact that you are unabashedly 100% yourself! That dress is stunning on you! Happy blogversary to you!
Thank you so much Laura! That means so much <3 I appreciate the support! Isn't it gorgeous?? Ahh!
Congrats—six years is a major milestone, and you’re wearing a gorgeous dress for the occasion!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
A very happy blog-iversary!! And here’s to many more!
Alexandra
EyeLoveKnots.com
Happy 6th anniversary! Keep on being the beautiful individual that you are!
Happy Anniversary!!!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Thank you so much Rach!
Congratulations! You’ve done a great job in pursuing your dream. And you have a wonderful record of that journey.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
Thank you so much Rena! You don’t know how much I appreciate it. I love having this blog to look back on 🙂
Congratulations on your six year blog-iversary, Lizzie! I always enjoy reading your posts and following your style. Congratulations on your success and cheers to many more anniversaries!
I hope you are having a great week!
Amber
Visit AvecAmber.com
Follow Avec Amber on Bloglovin
Thank you so much Amber! You don’t know how much your support means to me <3 I hope you are too!
Congrats on 6 years! It’s so inspiring that you have been able to make your dream come true with starting this beauitful blog!
Tracy
https://www.findyourdazzle.com
Thank you so much Tracy! That means so much <3
oh wow happy 6 year blogging anniversary! Beautiful photo and dress as per usual! Thank you for hosting this link up! Cheers to many more years blogging!
http://lifeisashoe.blogspot.com
Thank you so much!! This dress really is a dream <3 Cheers!
Happy Anniversary! What a huge accomplishment! I’m a huge girly girl too so I appreciate you empowering us to live our best girly lives!
Thank you so much Jenna! Ahh I’m glad to hear it 🙂 This is exactly why I do what I do!!
Wow great dress what a dream. Congratulations on you blog anniversary. xx Jacqui
Thank you so much Jacqui! I love how sparkly and colorful it is!
OMG congrats! You, this dress and these photos are all so stunning!
XOXO, Kate // http://www.classyandkate.com/what-jewelry-im-wearing-this-spring/
Thank you so much Kate!! This is one of my favorite dresses <3
congratulations!! This blog is really a fairytale, I love it!
Ana C, http://www.adreamersland.com
http://www.facebook.com/adreamersland
http://www.instagram.com/anaccsa
Thank you so much Ana! I appreciate your support so much!!
Congrats on six years of this journey! Cheers to many more!! xoxo, Sarah
Thank you so much Lucy! It’s my very favorite!! <3
Thank you so much Nancy! Cheers!
Thank you so much! You don’t know how much I appreciate it!
Thank you so much Cheryl!! I can’t believe it’s been that long! I’m love with this sparkly dress!
Thank you so much Alexandra! Cheers!
Thank you so much Sarah! I appreciate it!!
Thank you so much Stephanie!! You don’t know how much I appreciate it <3 I know, it's so crazy right? I look back on that post around this time every year and I can still pick up on the feeling I felt when I wrote it. I was so terrified and to be honest, I felt anxious to even share what I was doing because I had no idea. I love that blogging has not only given me a platform to share, encourage and inspire but it has helped me conquer my own fears and has taught me many life lessons along the way that I am so grateful for. Cheers!!
Happy Blog Anniversary! Can’t wait to see where this year takes you!
Congrats on six years!! That is so exciting, and your outfit is absolutely gorgeous, as always.
Miles of smiles,
Grace
gracefulrags.com
Congratulations on your anniversary!! I love this beautiful dress too!!
Happy 6 Year Anniversary girl!!! How exciting!! I love reading your posts and looking through all of your gorgeous pictures. Can’t wait to continue following for many years to come!! Xx.
Thanks so much Carrington! Aww you’re always so sweet <3 I appreciate it so so much!!
It’s so crazy how the time flies in all honesty, I can’t believe I started blogging when I did. We’re practically OGs now!
I know, right? It’s wild! And I’m so proud that I’ve been consistent because it’s been hard to do so at times lol! We are – woo hoo!!
CONGRATS on your six year blog-iversary! What an accomplishment.
Thanks so much Anna! I appreciate it!
Happy 6th blog anniversary! This is such a milestone. Keep up the great work and cheers to many more years of blogging.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Aw Thanks so much Maureen! I appreciate it so much <3 Cheers!
time is just flying by!!! there are soooo many lessons we have learned over the years and i always love reading your writing!
I know – it’s a little scary LOL! Absolutely! This has been such a big part of my personal growth over the years. I love yours as well!
Thanks so much Lindsay!
Thanks so much Greta! <3 I appreciate it!
Thanks so much Ash! I appreciate it <3
Thanks so much Jenna! It’s one of my favorites 🙂
Thanks so much Kelley! I know, right? It’s little scary when you think about it LOL!
Thanks so much Grace!! You’re the sweetest <3
congratulations lady! time absolutely flies – can’t believe it’s been six years – I am pretty sure I have been following you since close to day one. I have loved following your journey!
xo Laura Leigh
https://louellareese.com
Wow 6 years already?! Time flies! Congrats on your journey, can’t wait to follow along and see what’s next. xo
Seriously that is beyond amazing! Loved learning about why you started and how far you’ve come! It’s always so inspiring seeing other women succeed!